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NASCAR: Penske Racing confirms move to Ford Racing for 2013

February 29, 2012

Driver Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing will be making the switch from Dodge to Ford Racing in 2013. Photo by AT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Penske Racing has made it official: One of the most storied franchises in the history of American motorsports will join Ford Racing as part of a multiyear agreement that will begin with the 2013 NASCAR season.

The team put out a press release late Thursday morning, confirming an earlier Autoweek report.

Since 2003, the Penske Racing NASCAR teams have been aligned with Dodge Motorsports. Over the course of the relationship with Dodge, Penske Racing teams have produced 48 wins (26 Sprint Cup Series and 22 Nationwide Series), 72 pole positions (50 Cup and 22 Nationwide) and one series championship (the 2010 Nationwide Series title) in 1,048 starts (832 Cup and 216 Nationwide) entering this weekend's racing action.

In 2012, Penske Racing will compete with two full-time entries--the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driven by A. J. Allmendinger--in the Cup series and two full-time entries in the Nationwide Series, the No. 22 Discount Tire/Snap-on Dodge driven by Keselowski and Parker Kligerman and the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts/WURTH Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr.

Penske Racing's teams will compete with Ford Fusions in the Sprint Cup Series and with Ford Mustangs in the Nationwide Series, beginning next season.

“Penske Racing has had and continues to have a terrific relationship with Dodge, and we thank them for their partnership and their support over the past 10 years,” said team owner Roger Penske. “Our organizations have experienced many great memories together and our teams are committed to produce wins and championships with Dodge this season. We look forward to rejoining the Ford Racing NASCAR program beginning in 2013. We appreciate the long-term commitment that Ford has made to Penske Racing and for their continued support of the sport.”

Added Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co.'s president of the Americas: “This is an historic day for our racing program, and we are thrilled that Roger Penske is returning to Ford. Working together with Penske Racing gives Ford another championship-level program, and we are excited to take our racing program to all-new levels.”

The move to Ford represents a return for Penske Racing. The organization raced with Ford in 1976 and 1977 and again from 1994 to 2002. Through 524 NASCAR starts (509 Cup and 15 Nationwide) with Ford, Penske Racing teams earned 28 victories (27 Cup and one Nationwide) and 42 pole positions (36 Cup and six Nationwide).